Animal - $5

The two members of Animal, Philip Rabalais (Utopia Park) and Darla Murphy (Rock Paper Scissors), began collaborating in 2009 after mutually seeking each other-s musical talents. Rabalais- delicate weaving of electronic beats and rhythms, coming from a history of ultra-joy-punk power-pop and colorfully melodic danceable tracks combined with Murphy-s haunting neo-folk explorations and rich layering vocal harmonies. They arrive at a place that is both loud and silent, mysterious and embracing, gentle and fierce, always diverse. Animal will lead you by the hand out to the open field where everything began and everything will end and they leave you there to experience, equipped with heightened senses and a swollen heart.

Diatoms is an experimental-pop multi-pack of sounds, both in musicality and lyricism. The independently-released, seven-track debut album is a significant first effort for the Iowa/France-based duo.

The way seasons change in your sleep, the state between waking and dreaming, is a suggestion of Animal\'s debut release Diatoms. At times delicately injured, other times aggressively joyful, the whole album observes a feeling of ecstatic or even terrified anticipation of a post-disillusioned world. It mixes, adds and subtracts from ambient electronica, Bjork-like childish wonderment, electronified indie folk rock, soaked up and spit back out again with eyes wide open.